[FIN] Uninvited Guest

[Kitomyx]

When Izaya saw Zacharie headed out, the informant couldn’t help but wonder where to. He knew he’d been pretty cruel to the young Rocket during their last encounter so he didn’t dare directly approach him to ask. However, the informant’s jealousy and curiosity got the better of him. He’d heard and noticed Jerome and Zacharie hang out once for Zacharie’s birthday and that hadn’t sat well with him at all. He hadn’t gotten to talk to Jerome in ages and his last birthday hadn’t been spent with anyone. Nevermind that both those facts had pretty much been the result of his own actions in the first place.

Calling out his newest Zoroark, Kano - Riviere would likely have been too sensitive about what they were doing to do a good job - Izaya used the dark-type’s illusion as a cover to slip into the back seat of the van he saw Zacharie enter. As long as no one else decided to join them and overcrowd the back, he didn’t figure they’d be discovered. Sure, there was always the chance he was being watched through the robotic eye they’d put in him, but what threat could he have possibly posed stalking a Rocket on their day off? He himself had time off that day and had meant to head into the city anyway, but this endeavor seemed much more interesting.  

[insidiousEnigma]

Zacharie heaved a soft sigh as he settled into the middle row of seats, Kuroko sitting comfortably on the back of the seat, staring eerily down into the back seat but otherwise looking quite at ease. “Don’t fall and hurt yourself, Kuroko.” The Agent said absently as he scrolled through a file on his RocketDex. “I won’t.” The Espurr muttered, gaze still intent on the space behind them.

“Just to the park, Sir?” The grunt driving the van questioned as they pulled out of the garage and out to the ground above. “Yes, I’ll get a ride to where I’m going from there so you don’t have to worry about it.” The purple-haired boy said, his tone suggesting that being called ‘Sir’ still made him a bit uncomfortable. The driver nodded his understanding and the car lasped into silence, Zacharie still tapping away on his RocketDex and Kuroko content to stare into space as usual.  

[Kitomyx]

Kano giggled next to Izaya as Kuroko stared back at them, but Izaya simply glared at the thing. Normally psychic-types intrigued him, but he was pretty sure this particular one had it out for him after it stuffed his shoes with twigs and other painful, outdoor things the last they’d met. He would have kicked it, but he couldn’t be sure the Espurr wouldn’t rat them out before they reached their destination. At the very least, he didn’t want to be reported by the Rocket driving the van.

The conversation from the two humans in the front seats soon occupied the informant’s attention, however. A ride from the park to somewhere else? That certainly sounded familiar. Now that he could guess where Zacharie was going, the mystery was solved and Izaya could simply head back with the van to base once they dropped the young Rocket off. Something kept him from wanting to simply leave it at that, though.

Was it guilt for having hurt the purple-haired youth? No, Izaya couldn’t afford to feel guilt when he’d done that on purpose. He refused to believe it was jealousy of the Dubois’ disgusting brotherly love. But the only other time he’d seen Zacharie in the company of Andre was at the Valentine’s Day Ball and he’d been too drugged up at the time to utilize that information to his benefit. Now, though...now was his chance.

When the van stopped to let Zacharie off, Izaya asked Kano to disguise their abandoning of the vehicle as well. It wasn’t until the driving Rocket was well on their way that the informant allowed his Zoroark to drop the illusion he’d kept on them both. The black-haired man stood there beside Kano, his sunglasses hiding his eyes and his hands in his pockets as he took a casual stance.

“Off to your beloved big brother’s, Zachie-chan?”  

[insidiousEnigma]

Zacharie startled, his head whipping around to look at his sudden companion as he took a few quick steps back. “I knew he was there.” Kuroko muttered, sticking his tongue out at the trainee from his perch on his trainer’s shoulder. “You should have said something, Kuroko!” The Agent whispered angrily under his breath as he continued backing away.

“Yes, I’m going to visit my brother. Not that it’s any of your concern.” He said stiffly before turning sharply on his heel and making a hasty retreat where Louis was going to meet him. “What is he doing here?” He muttered to himself as he frantically tried to calm himself down. “Who knows, maybe he wants to pick on you some more.”

That seemed the most likely, but why had Izaya followed him to the park to do that? He could have easily found him at the base...even though he’d been hiding out in the labs to avoid seeing him.  

[Kitomyx]

Kano asked, snickering through his teeth as he took on a young man’s form. Izaya ignored both pokemon, lifitng his shades to perch atop his head and walking calmly after Zacharie even as the purple-haired rocked backed up.

“Of course it’s my concern. Your brother and I go way back. Didn’t I mention that?” He sighed as the agent turned to make a break for it. Izaya still didn’t see Louis anywhere so it wasn’t as if Zacharie could escape him, especially if he had to stay in a particular spot to be picked up. And yet he was still trying to run away? How silly.

“What’s the matter? Afraid of me all of a sudden?” He knew better than to think it might have been his pokemon. Zacharie was much more comfortable with pokemon than people if Izaya knew him as well as he thought he did. Shaking his head, he tsked and smiled deviously, holding up a finger to wave at the younger man. “Sticks and stones~”  

[insidiousEnigma]

Kuroko stared at the pokemon turned human blankly. He said simply, earning him a strange look from his trainer. But his attention was a bit divided he still continued to attempt to put as much space between them as he could.

“Your relationship with my brother has nothing to do with me. If you want to talk to him I’m sure you have ways to get in contact with him.” Zacharie said, tone a bit bitter, as he tugged Kuroko down from his shoulder so he could cradle him in his arms. He wasn’t afraid the pokemon would fall so much as he needed the comforting warmth of the psychic-type against his chest. “And I’m not afraid of you, don’t be ridiculous.”  

[Kitomyx]

Kano laughed and grinned back as he followed after his trainer, easily keeping up. He held out his arms as if expecting the Espurr to leap into them.

“Of course I have ways. But if you’re taking the opportunity to go visit him in person, I thought why don’t I join you? I’m already here anyway.” He spoke as cheerfully as if Zacharie were completely for the idea instead of completely against it. Stopping only when he was standing beside the agent, he added, “If you’re not afraid of me, why are you trying so hard to stay away? It’s not as if you can’t hate me just as much if I’m physically close to you.”  

[insidiousEnigma]

Kuroko asked blandly, staring up at the other pokemon with an expression that befitted his tone. Instead of taking the other up on his offer he pointedly settled into Zacharie’s arms.

“You didn’t even know I was going to visit Andre until after you...what, started following me?” The Agent pointed out sourly. “Andre didn’t invite you to visit and I certainly am not inviting you; so it looks like you’ll get to spend some time at the park.” He didn’t stop walking and he didn’t bother to look at the man walking beside him though his face was slowly, but steadily, growing more flushed. “I’m not afraid, Izaya; I just have nothing to say to you and you’ve made it abundantly clear that aside from your weird fascination with humans in general you have no interest in me.” A frown tugged at his lips but he resolutely kept his hard gaze forward. “I haven’t seen much point in being where I’m not wanted.”  

[Kitomyx]

Kano laughed harder at Kuroko’s question. He winked.

“Oh, really? Last I talked to him, he seemed fine with having me over whenever. But we can have Louis call Senpai when he gets here if you like.” His emotionless smile gradually faded from his face as he looked over to peer at Zacharie’s.

“If you don’t have anything to say, then don’t say anything,” he answered. “It’s not as though I’m forcing you to talk to me.”  

[insidiousEnigma]

Kuroko reached up to pat at Zacharie’s face, picking up on his trainer’s growing agitation and discomfort. “Don’t let him get to you, Zacharie.” He said, his wide-eyed gaze moving to the dark-haired man with more than a little annoyance. “I know, I know.” The boy murmured, hugging his pokemon closer to his chest as they approached the parking lot on the other side of the park.

Zacharie finally came to a stop, debating with himself before finally turning to fix Izaya with a rather imperative look. The expression was certainly a bit odd coming from him but it served to further prove that he was Andre’s brother. “If you were to get Andre’s approval to come over do you really think that you’d be greeted warmly when he notices how much I don’t want you there?” He snapped.

He didn’t like to think about the lengths Andre would go to make him happy...but in this case perhaps it would get his point across. “Because I certainly don’t imagine the whole thing going too well for you, but what would I know? I know nothing about how people think.” He scowled before continuing on his way.  

[Kitomyx]

Kano replied, smiling back at Kuroko and his trainer before glancing at Izaya. His smile became a little sheepish and he put his arms behind his head. It was a shame his own trainer was causing the other pokemon’s trainer such discontent. It wasn’t so easy to make friends with other pokemon when your trainer was pestering theirs. There wasn’t much Kano felt he could do to help, though, as he wasn’t really sure what was going on in the first place.

Noticing Kano giving him an awkward look, Izaya took out the Zoroark’s pokeball. “Thanks, Kano. You can rest for now,” he said, withdrawing the pokemon. His eyes got wide when he found Zacharie turned to face him directly with an uncharacteristic expression. At the younger man’s remark, though, Izaya’s default smile returned to his lips. “...And what makes you think I’m coming along expecting to be greeted warmly? Zachie-chan...don’t you know me well enough by now?”

He sighed and shook his head again. “I don’t see why you should care how it goes for me. It’s not like you have anything to worry about.”  

[insidiousEnigma]

“How could I know you better when you refuse to let me get to know you?” Zacharie fired right back before letting out a little sigh of relief when he spotted the familiar, black car waiting for him. He just had to get to the car, Louis would see how awkward this was, and would send Izaya on his way.

If he managed to make it to the car, that is.

Kuroko, sensing the breaking point, wisely hopped out of his trainer’s arms just as they swung open in exasperation. “What do you mean you don’t see why I should care?!” He exclaimed shrilly, staring at the other incredulously. “Are you stupid?” He stepped into Izaya’s space and grabbed the front of his shirt in a tight fist to shake him a bit. “I care if you get hurt you undeniably obtuse a**! How many times do I have to tell you this for it to get through that thick skull of yours?!”

“Zacharie!” He could hear Kuroko’s voice somewhere off to his left but he ignored the Espurr in favour of seeing if he could literally shake some sense into Izaya’s head. The matter was, literally, taken out of his hands as Izaya was yanked away by a rather surprised looking Louis. The blond-haired man held the trainee at a distance by the back of his shirt with one hand and reached for his phone with the other. “Zacharie, are you alright?”

The purple-haired boy just gave a rather disgruntled noise and started stomping over to the car, stooping to pick up his pokemon as he went. Louis watched the younger boy walk away before his gaze slid to Izaya. “Would you care to explain yourself before I call Andre?”  

[Kitomyx]

Izaya rolled his eyes. “It was a rhetorical question. Anyway, you already know me a fair bit more than I’d care for you to and it should be obvious from my prior actions.” His crimson gaze focused on the black car as it pulled up but he made no move to go toward it just yet.

The man jumped backward instinctively when Zacharie cried out in exasperation and flung out his arms. He paled when the front of his shirt was grabbed and stared with wide eyes at the Rocket who had him in his grip. He wanted to say something, but he couldn’t open his mouth. His lips stayed shut tight in a thin line, his expression blank with shock. A bright sheen glossed his eyes, though, like they were overly moist. The line of his mouth trembled.

And then he was yanked away like some doll from one man-handling brute to another. Izaya pouted deeply and glared at the ground as his eyes burned, finding himself helpless to do much else. When Louis addressed him, he didn’t bother looking at the blonde. Instead, he continued to determinedly stare at his feet. It took him a few moments to try to get his thoughts together before he could think of what to say.

“I don’t know why you’re asking me that and asking him if he’s okay when I was clearly the one being grabbed,” he muttered half-heartedly. He struggled to free himself from Louis’ grasp. “I’d appreciate it if you let me go now. It’s not much fun being passed around like a hot potato.” Why had he come here again? Ah, right. He’d wanted to mess with Andre. That idea had suddenly lost its appeal. “Just...there’s no need to call Andre. I’m leaving. Pretend you never saw me.”  

[insidiousEnigma]

Zacharie felt like s**t.

“I told you not to let him get to you.” Kuroko muttered unhelpfully as his trainer slowed to a stop. “ I think he was going to cry.”

Now he definitely felt like s**t.

“Geez…” He muttered under his breath, unsure of what to do. Izaya was easily the most aggravating person he had ever met. He never lost his temper so quickly, not even with Kyle. And he loathed Kyle! He didn't dislike Izaya (quite the opposite, actually) so there was no reason for him to treat the older man that way.

“Izaya!” He turned and sprinted back over to where Louis was just letting the dark-haired man go. Geez, he really did look like he was going to start crying. “Izaya, I'm sorry….I shouldn't have shaken you around like that.” He shifted his weight from one foot to the other and awkwardly glanced at Louis. The blond cocked his head slightly and looked between the two before nodding his head once and heading back towards the car. “It’s just….you just…” He heaved a heavy sigh and pushed his hand roughly through his hair. “You can be really obtuse.” He muttered, turning his face away so the other couldn't see his troubled, but flushed, expression.  

[Kitomyx]

As soon as he was released by Louis, Izaya turned away, but before he could will himself to move, he heard Zacharie calling behind him. He shook his head slowly at the ground. This wasn’t supposed to be like this. Why was he so weak? When had he become so weak?

“It’s fine,” he said, swallowing as he attempted to keep his voice steady. His back was still to the Rocket and he pulled his hood up over his head. “I shouldn’t...shouldn’t have done a lot of things, but you don’t hear me apologizing for them…” He tried to laugh but it came out shaky. “Don’t apologize when I’m the one being difficult, baka. It totally ruins the whole point.”

“I just...don’t understand why you’re still trying so hard. I thought I made it clear to you I’m not someone worth bothering with, especially when I cause you - everyone - such frustration. Even Faleen gave up on me after three years and I didn’t even try to get rid of her.”